Kevin Folta
Professor University of Florida
- Gainesville FL
Kevin Folta is an expert in biotechnology. He also farms and has a background in communication.
Biography
Areas of Expertise
Media Appearances
How Disinformation Threatens Genetic Innovation | Kevin Folta
Center for Inquiry online
2025-02-11
Genetic engineering has provided humanity with a cure for sickle cell disease, COVID-19 vaccines, and even how we make cheese. But those opposed to these technologies exploit social media to spread false information and break trust in genetic engineering. Today we are at a precipice where the newest technologies stand to drive incredible innovation in agriculture, medicine, and conservation. However, these technologies hinge on public acceptance. This talk was part of the exciting lineup for CSICon 2024. CSICon is the premiere conference in the US for science and skepticism.
GMOs: Science vs People? Al Jazeera’s TechKnow features Kevin Folta, July 13
Genetic Literacy Project online
2015-07-13
Is it Science vs. People? Is your food safe? Meet the scientists pushing boundaries and the protesters fighting back. Al Jazeera’s Cara Santa Maria, neurobiologist, interviews Kevin Folta, professor in and chairman of the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida, Gainesville
Joe Rogan Experience #655 - Kevin Folta
The Joe Rogan Experience online
2015-06-04
Kevin Folta is a land-grant scientist exploring ways to make better food with less input, also learning and teaching how to effectively communicate science to the public. He is also a professor in and chairman of the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida, Gainesville.
Social
Articles
Acceptance of crop biotechnology requires a change in communication strategy
Plant PhysiologyKevin Folta
2025-05-02
The goal of this article is to illuminate the agricultural biotechnology communication chasm, how it happened, its effects, and implementable solutions.
Vertical farming goes dynamic: optimizing resource use efficiency, product quality, and energy costs
Frontiers in ScienceKaiser, et al.
2024-09-25
In this review, we highlight the beneficial effects that dynamic growth conditions can have on key plant processes, including improvements in photosynthetic gas exchange, transpiration, organ growth, development, light interception, flowering, and product quality. Our novel findings based on modeling and experimentation demonstrate that a dynamic daily light intensity pattern that responds to frequent changes in electricity prices can save costs without reducing biomass.
Plant Uptake of Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead by Hemp, Mustard, and Kale Grown in Coconut Coir Substrate
HortScienceMeekins, et al.
2025-04-16
Medicinal and food crops including hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) are routinely tested for heavy metal (HM) contaminants including As, Cd, and Pb per regulatory guidelines. Heavy metals have been found in greenhouse substrates, including peat and coconut coir, and are commonly used in hemp production, which underscores the need to evaluate the risk of HM contamination of hemp from these production inputs. The objective was to quantify uptake of As, Cd, and Pb in coconut coir substrate into shoot tissue using bioassays and compare heavy metal uptake between brassicas and hemp.
Media
